HarperCollins Study Bible
Page 237
7.11 Loud. See 9.13.
7.12 Street, squares, corner, Woman Wisdom’s haunts as well (see 1.20). Lies in wait. See 1.11.
7.13 Seizes. See note on 3.18. Impudent face, the same Hebrew words translated bold face when applied to the evil man in 21.29.
7.14–20 The woman’s words are as imagined by the sage; cf. 1.11–14.
7.14–18 The woman’s mention of sacrifices is not a reference to foreign worship but to the “offering of well-being” in Lev 7.11–21. She might legitimately serve the meat from the offering to a guest, but it must be eaten in a state of ritual purity. Such a meal in the midst of a sexual encounter will “cut [the transgressor] off from…kin” (Lev 7.20–21). Still, the poet does not flinch from the attractiveness of her offer, only adding to the danger she represents.
7.15 Seek you, lit. “seek out your face” with v. 13, this image provides a close-up of the woman’s face pressed close to the man’s.
7.16–17 The visual beauty of the bed coverings is enhanced with the aroma of myrrh, aloes, cinnamon, the sources of valued extracts and fragrances associated with both love (Song 4.14) and sacrifice (Ex 30.22–33).
7.18 Fill of love, with a change of a vowel in the Hebrew, “fill of breasts,” as in the instruction on marital satisfaction in 5.19.
7.19–20 The false but seductive promise that the two can sin without being caught.
7.21–23 A resumption of the more distanced perspective of vv. 6–9.
7.22–23 Although translation is difficult, the imagery of trap and snare is unmistakable (see 1.17). Slaughter, also an action of Woman Wisdom in her house (see 9.2).
7.24–27 The scene returns to the classroom as the concatenation of increasingly deadly female attributes in ch. 7 (prostitute, defiler of sacrifice, adulterer) builds to its inevitable conclusion: the woman is death.
PROVERBS 8
The Gifts of Wisdom
1Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
2On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
4“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
5O simple ones, learn prudence;
acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
6Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right;
7for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9They are all straight to one who understands
and right to those who find knowledge.
10Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold;
11for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12I, wisdom, live with prudence,a
and I attain knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
14I have good advice and sound wisdom;
I have insight, I have strength.
15By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16by me rulers rule,
and nobles, all who govern rightly.
17I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
18Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21endowing with wealth those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
Wisdom’s Part in Creation
22The LORD created me at the beginningb of his work,c
the first of his acts of long ago.
23Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—
26when he had not yet made earth and fields,d
or the world’s first bits of soil.
27When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30then I was beside him, like a master worker;e
and I was daily hisf delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.
32“And now, my children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
33Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD;
36but those who miss me injure themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
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a Meaning of Heb uncertain
b Or me as the beginning
c Heb way
d Meaning of Heb uncertain
e Another reading is little child
f Gk: Heb lacks his
8.1–36 The most fully developed poetic personification of Wisdom, standing in contrast to the Strange Woman’s allures. Speaking in the first person, she praises herself to induce her listeners to heed her call (see note on 1.20–33).
8.1–3 On Wisdom’s location and her call, see note on 1.20–21.
8.4 People, all that live, lit. “men,” “human beings” (see notes on 1.8; 4.1–9). The call is universal in scope.
8.5 Simple ones, a special appeal to the still-educable fools. Intelligence, lit. “heart” (see 2.2).
8.6–9 Speak, mouth, words. See note on 1.6. Wickedness, righteous. See notes on 1.3; 3.33–35. Crooked, straight. See note on 1.3; also 2.12–15. Find. Also in 8.12, 17; see note on 1.13.
8.10–11 Silver, gold, jewels. Also in 8.19; see note on 1.13.
8.12 Live with prudence, lit. “inhabit cunning.” Attain discretion, lit. “find shrewdness.”
8.13 Fear of the LORD. See note on 1.7. The previous verse’s pragmatic virtues are embedded in a larger piety. Hatred, hate. See notes on 1.22; 6.16. Way. Perverted speech. See notes on 1.6; 2.12–15.
8.14–16 On wisdom and just rule, see note on 1.1.
8.14 Good advice, a Hebrew word designating the powerful counsel a king expected from his advisers; note strength in the next line; cf. qualities of the capable wife (31.17, 25–26).
8.17–21 The love of wisdom and its material blessings (see note on 1.13). Love can define the loyal relationship of treaty partners or royal subjects as well as the affections of lovers (see also note on 1.22).
8.18 Prosperity, usually translated righteousness (v. 20), though the moral state and its material rewards were inseparable (see note on 1.13). Through parallelism, the couplet shows riches, enduring wealth to be the concrete signs of honor, “righteousness” (see notes on 1.3; 3.4).
8.22–31 A remarkable statement of Woman Wisdom’s antiquity and authority. Depending on translation, one of two pic
tures emerges: Wisdom is a child born of the deity before the creation of the cosmos, or she is a preexistent being who aligns with God; see also 3.19–20; Jn 1.1–4.
8.22 Created. The Hebrew verb qnh is usually translated “acquire” (thus in 4.5, 7 get describes the student’s approach to wisdom). Also possible is “conceive, engender” in the biological sense (Gen 4.1). “Create” is introduced by the Greek translation.
8.23 Set up, used elsewhere only to refer to God’s installing of the king in Zion (Ps 2.6). The Hebrew verb can also mean “to weave” and a variant form portrays the divine weaving of baby’s sinews in the womb (Ps 139.13; Job 10.11).
8.24–29 Cf. the account of creation in Gen 1.
8.24–25 Depths, springs. Water was taken to be the original substance (Gen 1.2). Brought forth usually refers to the birthing of a child. If one reads “conceived/woven in the womb” for the ambiguous verbs in vv. 22–23 (see notes on 8.22; 8.23), then Wisdom is portrayed as born of God as mother (see Isa 49.14–15; 42.14). Mountains, hills, not just features of the natural landscape, but the home of the gods, and the peaks of the pillars that supported the earth; they are lit. “sunk,” not shaped, and they precede the earth (v. 26).
8.27–29 God is portrayed ordering and regulating, rather than creating substance; in particular God commands and limits the primordial waters as an essential part of maintaining the earth’s viability in the face of ever threatening chaos (cf. Job 38.8–11).
8.30–31 Master worker, or “little child” (see text note d); the ambiguous portrait of Wisdom persists. Delight, rejoicing, rejoicing, delighting. Repeated verbs in a “mirror pattern” unite Wisdom’s playful activity with God to her delight in humans on earth.
8.32–36 Woman Wisdom’s discourse continues. Wisdom’s ways lead from the public arena (8.1–3) to her gates and doors (her house; see notes on 1.13; 1.15–16; 2.18–19; 5.8; 9.1).
8.34 Watching and waiting outside a house recall the lover in Song 2.9, but also the path of the foolish youth in 7.8.
8.35–36 Wisdom mediates life from the Lord.
PROVERBS 9
Wisdom’s Feast
1Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
4“You that are simple, turn in here!”
To those without sense she says,
5“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Lay aside immaturity,a and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
General Maxims
7Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;
whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.
8A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you;
the wise, when rebuked, will love you.
9Give instructionb to the wise, and they will become wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will gain in learning.
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
Folly’s Invitation and Promise
13The foolish woman is loud;
she is ignorant and knows nothing.
14She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the high places of the town,
15calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16“You who are simple, turn in here!”
And to those without sense she says,
17“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18But they do not know that the deadc are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
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a Or simpleness
b Heb lacks instruction
c Heb shades
9.1–18 Closely matching poetic portrayals of Woman Wisdom (vv. 1–6) and Woman Folly (9.13–18) frame a central collection of sayings (vv. 7–12). The focus on the houses of the two women continues familiar themes (see note on 1.13) and also seems to expand upon the proverb in 14.1. On food as metaphor for gaining wisdom and moral perspective, see note on 1.31.
9.1 Wisdom (see note on 1.20–33) evokes 14.1a (which is lit. “The wisdom of women builds a house”). Like the house of the capable wife (31.10–31; cf. 5.7–23), Wisdom’s house is the center of the good society, though it may be hard to discern from the home of Woman Folly (see vv. 13–17). Seven pillars may recall the mythic foundations of the earth (cf. 8.22–31), but are also found in ancient temples.
9.2 Slaughtered. See 7.22. Wisdom’s meal may reflect the common Hellenistic institution of philosophical symposia, where the wise gathered to dine and discourse.
9.3 Calls. See 1.20. Highest places in the town. See 1.20; 8.2; 9.14.
9.4–6 Simple, without sense, immaturity. See note on 1.4; also 9.16. Bread, wine. See 9.17.
9.7–12 Reflections on education for advanced students, the wise (see 1.5; note on 1.8).
9.13–18 The Woman of Folly (lit.) is identical to the Strange Woman (see note on 2.16–19) and the direct opposite of Wisdom in vv. 1–6.
9.13 Loud. See 7.11.
9.14–15 An image perhaps drawn from the alewife, whose establishment was also often a house of prostitution; but her location and words are also similar to those of Woman Wisdom (see 1.20; 8.1–5, 34; 9.1–6).
9.17 See 9.5.
9.18 See 2.18–19; 5.5; 7.27; cf. 6.33–35.
PROVERBS 10
Wise Sayings of Solomon
1The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise child makes a glad father,
but a foolish child is a mother’s grief.
2Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
4A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5A child who gathers in summer is prudent,
but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.
6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise of heart will heed commandments,
but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.
10Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
but the one who rebukes boldly makes peace.a
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses.
13On the lips of one who has understanding wisdom is found,
but a rod is for the back of one who lacks sense.
14The wise lay up knowledge,
but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near.
15The wealth of the rich is their fortress;
the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
16The wage of the righteous leads to life,
the gain of the wicked to sin.
17Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but one who rejects a rebuke goes astray.
18Lying lips conceal hatred,
and whoever utters slander is a fool.
19When words are many, transgression is not lacki
ng,
but the prudent are restrained in speech.
20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the mind of the wicked is of little worth.
21The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
22The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.b
23Doing wrong is like sport to a fool,
but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding.
24What the wicked dread will come upon them,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the tempest passes, the wicked are no more,
but the righteous are established forever.
26Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes,
so are the lazy to their employers.
27The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
but the years of the wicked will be short.
28The hope of the righteous ends in gladness,
but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.
29The way of the LORD is a stronghold for the upright,
but destruction for evildoers.
30The righteous will never be removed,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.
31The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
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a Gk: Heb but a babbling fool will come to ruin
b Or and toil adds nothing to it
10.1–22.16 This section departs from the generally unified compositions of the instructions and wisdom poems in chs. 1–9 but continues their teachings in an explicit way in the vehicle of two-lined sayings using parallelism (see Introduction). Although many of the sayings are simply observational, most are shaped to recommend a specific virtue or behavior to the students of the sages.
10.1–15.33 The antithetic collection. This section makes use of antithetic parallelisms (the second line contrasts with the first) to drive home the sages’ views. Typical themes already seen in chs. 1–9 are taken up in antithetical word pairs (father/mother, e.g., 10.1b; righteous/wicked, e.g., 10.2–3, 24–25, 27–32; wise/fool, e.g., 10.8, 14, 23). Other common concerns of the sages appear: the power of language (e.g., 10.6, 11, 13–14, 18–21, 31–32), the doctrine of retribution (every act contains its own consequence, e.g., 10.2, 4, 16, 28, 30), and the excellence of wisdom (e.g., 10.1, 17).